Brazil: If God is for us...

'If God is with us who can be against us'? (Romans 8:21) 

Today has involved the now familiar rollercoaster of emotions.

This morning Andrew and I arrived at the hospital only to be stopped by the security guard at the entrance and escorted down to the basement.

Anyone entering the hospital outside of visiting hours needs to have a sticker on authorising them to be there. Patients are only allowed one visitor at a time and Peter already had one with him.

Brad Miller, an American missionary who is in Manaus with his wife and five children, had stayed the night with Peter. He and Peter have really hit it off. Brad has only been in the country for 18 months and is still learning Portuguese, so he is really enjoying being able to have some intelligent conversation in English with someone else. He is a lovely guy and although his Portuguese is still in its early stages, he is being a real help to Peter.

Our trip to the basement was designed to inform us that we couldn't see Peter, but it turned put to be a blessing as it caused us to meet the only lady working at the hospital who can speak fluent English.

Andrew explained to her our situation, and she immediately took us up to meet the doctor in charge.

The doctor told us that because Peter is over 40 he needed to undergo a number of tests before he was given the all clear for his op, including a heart examination.

The problem was that the cardiologist only worked at the hospital on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then Peter needed to fast for 12 hours. The op could not possibly be done before Friday, she told us.

It was at this point that Andrew used the magic phrase: 'Secretary of Health'.

After a quick phone call the story changed: a decree had come from above: the op must happen on Thursday.

Suddenly it was now possible and the tests were hurriedly arranged.

Andrew had a number of things he needed to do for his mission agency before catching his flight back to the UK, so he and I took the opportunity to pop over to Dom Pedro church, leaving Brad with Peter.

Another set of emails and a long call to Global Response (the medical insurance company) confirmed that the medical reports I had emailed to them yesterday were enough to get some balls rolling. Once Peter is given the all clear to travel after his op, they will arrange everything to get him back to the UK, including transport to the airport, wheelchair transfers for connections and special treatment on the airplanes.

We stopped off for a quick lunch with Pastor Alvaro (of San Pedro church). He had BBQed a whole tambaqui and I can honestly say that it was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had. That was until Alvaro decided to eat what he said was the tastiest part: the eye!

Pastor Franke from Dom Pedro church had joined us by this point and he then took over as we dropped Andrew off at the airport to catch his flight home.

I was sad to see Andrew go. It has been great to spend time with him and get to know him these last two weeks. I feel I have learned a lot from him and we have got on really well.

However it is really important that he get home to see his father who had a stroke while we were out here. Please continue to pray for his father as he recovers.

The 20 min drive back to the hospital with Pastor Franke was a lesson in how much it is possible to communicate via sign language. He cannot speak much English at all, but we had a great time 'talking' together.

I rejoined Peter and Brad at the hospital around 2pm. Peter had been moved to his own room by now, which was a real blessing. The ward he had been on had been guarded by armed military police because three gang members who had been shot were being treated in there. The guy in the bed next to Peter was handcuffed to his bed!

Peter had had all his pre-op tests except the heart test. A cardiologist was yet to turn up.

It was at around 5pm our time (9pm UK time) that we saw a remarkable answer to prayer.

Two doctors appeared to break the news that Peter's op would not be possible until Friday or possibly Monday. Because of his age it was too risky to go ahead without the cardiologist giving the all clear.

We couldn't believe it: another disappointment.

Brad was having difficulty translating so he went off to find someone who spoke Portuguese and English.

There 'just happened' to be a fluent English speaker visiting the Director of New Tribes Mission just down the corridor.

And with him was none other than Pastor Silvio, the man who personally knew the Secretary of Health and had been advocating on Peter's behalf.

You couldn't have written the scene that occured next better.

He asked the two doctors what the problem was, and when they told him he asked them to wait one moment and then he got out his mobile phone.

The next thing we all heard was 'Hello Secretary...'

Within minutes the op was back on for tomorrow morning sometime. Within the hour a cardiologist appeared and gave Peter the all clear. By 6.30pm he had been instructed that he should not eat anything from 10pm in preparation for the op tomorrow.

What we're the odds that at the exact moment we needed him Pastor Silvio would have been just down the corridor?

What were the odds that a man capable of translating for us would be alongside him?

What were the odds that the Secretary of Health would have been contactable when Pastor Silvio rang him? (He had tried all day on Monday to call him without success.)

Through tears of gratitude we gathered around Peter's bedside and gave thanks to God that for his perfect timing.

The fat lady has not sung yet, but she is at least gowned up and ready to go.

Please pray that all goes well tomorrow.

Brazil: His way is perfect

Written by the nurse: 'Jesus loves you'

After the frenetic and stressful busyness of Saturday we have had to adjust to the frustration involved in waiting for the last few days.

Peter settled into a corner of the men's A&E ward in Manaus hospital with his leg in traction when we arrived on Saturday afternoon. We were hoping for a quick operation but soon discovered that nothing would be happening until Monday.

He has had good care, but as is to be expected, a Brazilian A&E ward is very different to a UK one.

For one thing, no one speaks English, so we have been totally dependent on Andrew to translate.

For another, the food is very Brazilian and - frankly - not very appetizing (I guess there are similarities with the UK there!).

We have therefore become very adept at smuggling in shortcake and bananas past the uniformed guards on duty outside the ward who take their role very seriously.

Another difference is that it is  customary for family members to sleep in the hospital overnight in large chairs next to their sick relatives. One wonderful illustration of the love and support we have received from the Christian community in Manaus is that for 3 of the 4 nights Peter has been in hospital, local missionaries have volunteered to sleep at the hospital with him. This has been invaluable in case Peter needs to communicate with the nurses.

The leaders of the local church that we have been working with in Manaus - Dom Pedro Baptist Church - have also been incredible.

On Sunday morning Andrew and I popped into the service at Dom Pedro to convey our thanks to the Pastors for all the support they are giving. I was asked to preach that evening at their main service and decided to accept, mainly to convey publicly our thanks and also to testify to God's goodness in his help thus far.

It was a really special occasion.

The evening service is the main service in Brazilian churches. 300+ people gathered and I felt great liberty as I spoke, despite the circumstances.

After I had spoken, the lead pastor took over and called people to come forward if they wanted to walk more closely with Jesus. Around 30 responded, some in tears, some kneeling. It was clear God had touched hearts and I felt very moved by the sincerity of the responses.


God has been good to us in many ways over the last few days.

In the cold light of reflection, when we think back to all that happened on Saturday, it could have been so much worse.

This area is known for torrential rain. However it 'just happened' that it was a sunny day on Saturday. Had it had been raining, the trip from Ãlvaraes across lake Tefè would have been impossible.

If you look at Tefè airport on Google earth you will see that it is little more than a flat strip of tarmac in the jungle. It has two 50 seater flights daily to Manaus, but neither can take a stretcher.

However there 'just happened' to be a charter plane - with the ability to take a stretcher - on the tarmac that afternoon.

And then there 'just happened' to be a lady in the church here in Manaus who had the capacity and willingness to withdraw 5,000 reais in cash and pay for the special flight on our behalf.

And then one of the pastors in Dom Pedro 'just happened' to know the Amazonas State Secretary of Health, who arranged for an ambulance to meet us as the plane landed.

We have discovered over the last few days that none of these things is 'normal' here. We have also been reminded again that things don't 'just happen': God has been watching over us.

It therefore won't surprise you to know that while there have been low times for Peter, we have also known great times of fellowship over the last few days as well.

I spoke at a Pastor's Fraternal this morning and a local pastor gave us Isaiah 41:10 to give to Peter:

'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'

The hymn 'How firm a foundation' came to mind when we shared it with Peter, so we all sang it together round his bedside while a ward of bemused Brazilians looked on.

We also had a good laugh together when Peter revealed to us that the passage he would have preached from on Sunday morning (if we had still been in Ãlvaraes) was 2 Corinthians 4:9.

The JBPhillips Bible translation of that verse, that he was planning on quoting, is this: 'Knocked down but not knocked out'!

He was also planning on quoting Proverbs 24:16: 'For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again'!

That is not to say that things have been easy or straightforward the last few days or that there aren't things that still need prayer.

On Monday morning we were told by Peter's doctor that the waiting time for his op would be 35 days.

We shared this with the pastor in Dom Pedro who immediately started petitioning the Secretary of Health.

We discovered yesterday morning that Peter had now been put on the priority list and that his op will be on Thursday at the latest.

Yesterday afternoon he was moved up to a main ward, which is a great sign that things are finally moving.

I have also been liaising with Peter's travel insurance company, who are the people who will arrange flights home.

To be honest this has been incredibly frustrating and involved numerous emails, form filling, copying of medical reports and phone calls.

However, despite the frustrations and uncertainties that remain, Peter is feeling positive and is in good spirits.

What follows is directly from him... he particularly wanted v33 to be included from the passage below!

'As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord ’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.' (Ps 18:30-33)

'The Brazilian way is far from perfect and the British way is far from perfect. God's way has stop signs and diversions on it but it is always perfect and we won't know until we reach our destination why God purposes all that happens to us along the way, but I have met so many wonderful Christians here in Manaus who have been so helpful to me and thank God for them as well as your prayers.'


The next few days are really crucial.

Please pray...

• That Peter's operation will be done tomorrow or Thursday.
• That the travel insurance medical response team will be satisfied with what they have and start being more pro-active.
• That Peter will continue to know God's strength, peace and patience. 
• That a Portuguese speaker would be present to translate when needed.
• That the op would be successful and that Peter would soon be well enough to travel.
• For wisdom for my return to the UK if Peter is likely to be here for much longer.
• For both our families back in UK.
• For Andrew as he leaves tomorrow: that he would have a good journey home and for his father who is still very poorly following a stroke while we were away.
• For Andrea and Jason Murfit, missionaries we met last week at the seminary in Tefè, who will be taking over translation and transport duties from Andrew when he leaves tomorrow.
• For me as I move into new accomidation with yet another missionary couple: Brad and Melissa Miller

Praise God:

• That Peter is not in pain.
• That he has been moved up to the main ward ready for surgery
• For the pastors at Dom Pedro church who have been so helpful, compassionate and pro-active.
• For the intervention of the Secretary of Health.
• For the many opportunities to witness that Andrew and others have had to other patients around Peter.

(If you don't know it, here are the words to How firm a foundation...)

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed!
For I am your God, and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of woe shall not you overflow;
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress.

"When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be your supply;
the flame shall not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

Brazil: God's change of plan

This was not the post I expected to be writing!

We are now back in Manaus because this morning Peter slipped coming out of the shower in his room and partially broke his left femur, near the hip joint.

This dramaticaWe are separated by so much, but love for a common Saviour gives us love for each other. I have never felt as close to complete strangers!lly altered the day we had plannedand the week ahead.

We were due to visit a Marajo Indian community today but our plans were not God's plans.

Peter's accident couldn't have happened at a worse time on our trip because of the remoteness of Ãlvaraes.

We managed to get him into the back of a pickup truck and then to the local version of a hospital where he was given some painkillers by a lovely nurse and a very dodgy looking Peruvian doctor.

I dashed back to our hotel with the local pastor and threw all our things into our suitcases, then we started the difficult journey back to Manaus, which is the nearest modern hospital.

Peter was put into the back of the pickup truck on a stretcher and we were driven to the sandy beach on the edge of lake Tefè, where a number of local men manhandled the stretcher onto a speedboat we had managed to charter.

The nurse kindly accompanied us on the bumpy 20 minute ride across lake Tefè where we were met by an ambulance driver who seemed to think he was in rally car!

Peter was taken to Tefè hospital, which was a little more advanced than the one in Ãlvaraes. Here his hip was x-rayed and it became clear what the problem was. The doctor bound up his leg and waist so that it couldn't move and we started to think about what to do next.

The words of Psalm 61 came to mind and seemed so appropriate as we prayed together for God's wisdom and help:

'Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.' (Ps 61:1-2)

We were at the ends of the earth, our hearts fainting, needing God's help, wisdom and presence.

The psalmist feels overwhelmed by his situation - like a drowning man. And so he prays for help outside of himself. He prays for a place of safety and security: for a rock on which he can stand that is above the things that threaten to overwhelm him.

It is a wonderful image of the safe position of the person who is trusting in God. As we see this psalm through the lens of the New Testament we also see that the rock is Jesus. In him we are secure no matter what life throws at us.

The doctor said Peter needed to get to Manaus hospital where the facilities were much better. So we decided to explore our transport options.

I tried to ring the claims number on Peter's travel insurance only to be greeted by a very polite answering phone message telling me that the opening hours of the office were 9am-5pm Mon-Fri!

There was no space for a stretcher on the afternoon commercial flight out of Tefè so we decided we had no option but to charter a plane. Andrew had a Christian contact in Manaus who agreed to buy the ticket for us so that we didn't have to scrabble around maxing out our credit cards to raise the 5,000 reais (about £1,500) needed.

Another hairy ambulance ride later we arrived at Tefè airport and boarded the 5-seater twin propeller plane that would get us to civilization and treatment.

There is a verse in the Bible that says: 'As for God, his way is perfect.' (Ps 18:30).

It takes faith to believe that in the sort of situation we were facing. However we were to see the amazing providence of God, and the love of his people, in the hours that followed.

After the two hour flight to Manaus, we were greeted on the runway tarmac by an ambulance and by one of the pastors from the large Baptist church here: Pastor Paulo.

It turns out that a member of the church knows the secretary of the state. A quick phone call and the ambulance was arranged.

We experienced a similar providence when we got to the hospital. Another church member knows the secretary of health. A quick phone call and the necessary surgery has been booked for the earliest possible opportunity: Monday morning.

The doctor has told us that it is not advisable for Peter to travel due to his injury. He has said that the break needs to be pinned and then the leg put in a brace. After this operation he then needs to wait 3 days before travelling home.

The upshot if this is that we will not be returning to the UK on Wednesday as we expected. Depending when the op is done and how our flights get rearranged, the earliest we are likely to be back is Friday.

Andrew is due to fly back on Wednesday. His dad is still very poorly following his stroke. Please pray for him and the family in all this.

However God has provided for us even in this.

When we were in Tefè we got to know a British couple called Jason and Andrea Murfit, who work with river people in this area. They have offered to act as our translators when Andrew returns. Their 9 year old daughter Lucy attends school in Manaus 2 days per week, so they have accomodation here and know the city.

The care and love shown by the missionary community and local church here has been staggering and very humbling. It is yet another indicator of the supernatural unity that exists between believers in different countries.

Thank you to those who have prayed in response to the prayer link. We have really seen God answering your prayers.

Please praise God:
For his help in the complicated journey from Ãlvaraes to Manaus.
For the excellent medical care Peter is now receiving.
For the love and support of the believers here.

Please pray:
For Peter in hospital, that he would know God's peace.
That the op would happen on Monday and be a success.
For me as I liaise with the travel insurance people and
airlines to arrange our passage back to the UK when we are given the all clear.

I am also likely to be preaching tomorrow night at Dom Pedro church, please also pray for God's enabling to do this.

Brazil: Nicknames and nominal religion

Thursday

Last night I managed to get the TV in my room to work just in time for the 10 O'Clock news with William Waack (seriously, that really was his name).

I didn't understand a word, but David Cameron's speech announcing his intention to hold a  european referendum was one of the main headlines. You might not be that interested in the UK, but they think it's big news in Brazil!

There is only one channel you can get in Tefè, which makes it all the more surprising that each of the rooms in our budget hotel is equipped with a TV.

My room has a bed, a fridge and a TV... that is quite literally IT. I anticipated living out of a suitcase and I have not been disappointed! We have also only had cold water in the accomodation in which we have stayed. This makes showers refreshing but brief! However it's amazing how quickly it's possible to adapt to this so that it starts to feel normal. It has reminded me of how conditioned we are in the UK to needing home comforts.

I'm pleased to say that all the students passed their assessments... eventually. Part of the issue here is that some find reading and writing a real challenge. One pastor in his 50s only learnt to read in the last few years. What motivated him to learn was that he became a Christian and really wanted to read the Bible.

We therefore had to employ a degree of flexibility to the assessment process: a combination of written answers and an interview type approach to test knowledge.

To celebrate the end of the module, the cook produced the biggest chocolate cake I have ever seen. Unfortunately I didn't have my phone on me, so I couldn't take a picture that I can upload to this blog. However it was easily the size of a car tyre!

In the post-assessment celebrations I also discovered that the students have given me a nickname.

Apparently everyone in this region is given a nickname. As far as I can gather it is usually an animal or celebrity.

Andrew is called 'Giraffe' because he is very tall,

And my nickname?

Turtle.

I was assured that this was not because I am a) slow b) wrinkly or c) known for carrying a shell around on my back, but because my head is the shape of a turtle's head!

Apparently this is not as bad as it sounds.

Turtle meat is a delicacy in the Amazon. Catching a turtle will get you good money. Turtles are considered noble, handsome creatures in the Amazon. (OK, so I made that last sentence up.)

But however you wrap it up, the fact remains that while I have been labouring to teach theology to these guys for the last few days, they have been imagining me as a turtle!

It could have been worse however ... they've nicknamed Peter 'Dinosaur'!

This morning we took a trip to the local market.

The fish market was noisy, smelly and full of unusual catches. One fisherman selling piranha proudly showed us it's teeth (see photo).

Tambaqui - which we have eaten a lot here - was also on sale.

Live chickens were also on offer, instant death awaiting those that were sold!

And there were lots of unusual fruit and vegetables: bunches of bananas, fresh pineapples, mangoes, green oranges, tucumas (see yesterdays blog) and cacao pods, which contain cacao beans - from which is made chocolate.

 It has been a really hot today - in the mid-30s (sorry to rub it in), so we bought a coconut each from a local stall holder, who hacked the top off and gave us a straw each to drink the milk. Fantastic!

Religion dominates Brazilian culture. Almost everyone believes in God and this is seen in the most unlikely places.

Our coconut man's stall was emblazoned with the phrase: 'God gave me this'. (Together with the more questionable phrase:  'The strength of your jealousy is the speed of my success'!)

On a clothing store we saw the phrase: 'Obrigado Jesus' (thankyou Jesus). One of the boats in the harbour was named 'Monte Sinai II'. Another was named 'King David', another 'Jehovah Nissi' (the Lord is my Banner).

I particularly liked the Bible text on a local pharmacy: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Phil 4:13)!

Unfortunately in Brazil this religious veneer is often akin to superstition, and is fueled by the strong presence of the Catholic Church. We popped our heads into the large Catholic church that dominates the town centre yesterday evening while a service was in full swing. The vast wealth of the Vatican, in evidence even in this far flung place, jarred with the poverty we have seen.

It's not just the Catholic church that holds sway here, the grandest building in Tefè is the Freemason's temple.

Spiritualism is also a major issue here. We met up with a British pastor this afternoon - Bryn Jones - who came to Tefè 40 years ago as a pioneer missionary when Tefè had a population of 3,000 compared to the 70,000 it has today.  He is now in his 70s but he comes back here every year to teach in the seminary. As you can imagine he had lots of fascinating stories to tell! He told of occasions when spells were cast over him and his family and threats made.

In the UK the major obstacles to the gospel is apathy and materialism, here it is superstition and religion.

It's a reminder that even a nominally Christian culture is not as good as it sounds. Many Christians in the UK are mourning the end of our 'christian culture', but Brazil is a reminder of the danger of external religion. True faith is neither individualistic (I can believe anything I want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else) nor is it communal (I must believe what those around me believe), if it is worth anything it must be personal and it must be based on objective truth.

This is why the work of independent seminaries like the one we have been visiting is so important.

Teaching future Christian leaders to read and interpret the Bible for themselves and identify false teachers and false teaching is vital. Brazil needs discerning Christian leaders who will 'hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.' (Titus 1:9).

We eat with the students from the seminary at lunch and dinner time. They now have a new subject and new lecturer.

It has been really good to get to know some of these pastors and young Christian workers over the last few days. Tomorrow morning we travel across lake Tefè and then drive to Alvarines, a village of 8,000 people further into the interior. This was the first church Andrew pastored when he, Jenny and his daughters arrived in Brazil.

The plan is to stay for Friday and Saturday night and visit lots of Andrew's old church members in their homes. On Sunday morning Peter will speak at the church in Alvarines before we head back to Tefè, where I will speak at a local church in the evening. Please pray for health, safety and wisdom as we seek to minister to the folk we meet.

Andrew has told us to expect to see a very simple way of life and to eat some very different foods. Apparently piranha, crocodile eggs and roast monkey are all eaten by locals.

We have immodium on standby...!

He has also said that it is highly unlikely that we will get any sort internet connection in Alvarines, so expect the next update sometime late on Sunday when God-willing we will get back to Tefè.

Postscript: Just as I was about to post this we have had news that Andrew's father has been taken into hospital. He had a minor stroke a week before we left the UK, but had recovered well. Please pray for Andrew and his family. We are unsure as yet how this might affect the rest of the trip.

Brazil: Last day of lectures

Some of the theological students at the Seminary

Today we finished our series of lectures at the theological seminary and the students completed their 'assessment'.

The theological course the students are doing lasts 4 years. Every January they travel to Tefè for 4 residential weeks of intensive lectures. The course costs them 250 reais a year, which is about £80, and includes all their food. That doesn't sound like a lot, but for many of these students it's a big sacrifice. After their 4 years they get a certificate in theology.

But only if they pass enough of their assessments!

They get a mark out of 10: 4 marks for attendance and 1 mark each for correctly answering 6 questions on what we have looked at this week.

They are likely to do well, because the pastor of the church here (The '1st Independent Christian Evangelical Church of Tefè') - who is also the Director of the Seminary - took them to task yesterday about the fact that some of them weren't studying as hard as they should in the evenings and were on Facebook too much! Social networking has even reached the middle of the Amazon.

His stern approach sums up the very different attitude there is to authority in this culture, particularly in the church.

Church discipline is used much more frequently and openly here. I have lost count the number of times I have been told that someone was put under church discipline for something or other.

A believer caught in some kind of scandal or immorality, be it private or public, expects to be disciplined by their church leaders and often submits to it. This almost always involves bringing the matter before the whole church and withdrawing membership privileges for a period.

In the UK, church discipline is often kept private, and often results in resistance, conflict and leaving the church.

The purpose of church discipline in the Bible is to bring about repentance, restoration and growth in godliness in the individual involved. The greater respect Brazilians have for those in authority, particularly church leaders, means that restoration and growth is more often the outcome of church discipline here. It still causes conflict, but usually only among those who are unconverted: a great number of church members here are not even Christians!

Andrew has many stories of such positive outcomes. In many cases the result of such discipline has been relationships healed, lives cleaned up and churches more united and focused on the gospel. In the church where Andrew was pastor in Manaus he faced a very serious challenge from some in the church who wanted to get rid of him. However he wisely and firmly stood his ground, and while some sadly left, the result was a much stronger and united church.

Perhaps the stronger position of pastors here is partly due to the fact that the biblical model of Eldership teams are virtually unheard of, at least in this area.

Peter's lectures on 1 Timothy have generated a lot of discussion because of the Elder/Deacon church leadership model Paul outlines there. At the end of my session yesterday the students fired questions at me about the Eldership at Woodgreen and how we operate.  They were amazed to hear that I had 8 fellow Elders and that we discussed matters and made decisions together and that I saw myself as accountable to them.

(They were also amazed that I knew how to iron and wash up and had changed my children's nappies when they were babies! I think I lost some brownie points with the guys when they discovered this as Brazilian men don't do any of these things.)

However as we have worked through 1 Timothy they have also seen the wisdom of a team of Elders working together, holding each other to account and supporting each other in difficult times.

This afternoon we spent some time doing some video interviews with some of the students which I plan to use as part of our report back video.

Tomorrow we plan to see a bit more of Tefè and meet up with some pastors and missionaries working in the town here before heading over the lake and into the interior for 2 nights. This is where we are likely to get closest to the more traditional amazon way of life.

Peter had a foretaste of the 'real amazon' last night when he left his window open and woke up to find a large bat had got into his room!

Andrew has told us we can expect more of the same as we go deeper into the interior.

Brazil: Eating Amazon-style

Meal times are a constant surprise here because the food is really very different to the UK.

One of the fruits we've had every day for breakfast is called tucumà (see photo below). It is about the size of a billiard ball, and has a large nut in the centre. It is served peeled, and has a thin bright orange flesh that needs to be scraped off the nut with a very sharp knife. It's texture is like avocado, but it is very fibrous. It's an aquired taste! I've been having it in a bread roll for breakfast.

While I was sat in the hotel reception uploading the last blog entry, the hotel manager's wife also offered me another fruit I had never heard of: sapota. It looks like a hairy brown melon and has a bright orange flesh that is very tasty! I managed to convey my thanks: 'obligado'!

Another popular breakfast food is a sort of pancake made out of tapioca. This is salty and very chewy and - frankly - a bit odd! ( see photo)

Bananas are also really popular here. They are smaller and much tastier than those we have in the UK. Fried, caramilised, or just plain, they are a bit of a staple.

They eat a cooked dinner twice a day here. Most main meals have been very similiar. There seem to be certain dishes that are traditional.

Rice and noodles are served with every meal, together with something called farofa which is made from the root of a plant grown in this area which is then ground down and baked. The best way of describing this is that it's like eating tasty sand!

A black bean stew called feijoada is also served with every meal. I have been told that it is best not to ask what is in this! However because it is cooked very slowly for many hours, it is thankfully difficult to tell! But it is very tasty.

Hunks if some kind of brown 'meat' is often served in a sauce (it is generally unclear what type if meat this is!) Because the Amazon region is dominated so much by water, fish is also extremely popular. The most popular two types of fish are tambaqui and piracururu. I don't like fish at all and hardly ever eat it in the UK, but these two are really tasty.

BBQ-type food stalls by the side of the road are very popular: sweetcorn, kebabs, chicken and fish (see photo). We avoid these just to be careful, but Andrew tucks in.

However while the food we're sampling is fascinating, our main reason for being here is to feed those who are hungry to learn from God's Word.

We are trying to make it as easy to digest as possible, which isn't always straightforward via translator!

Andrew is doing an amazing job, but 7-8 hours of speaking a day is tough going, just standing up for that long is tiring. Please pray for stamina for him.

Andrew has endured some pretty hairy moments in his 12 years here. Another missionary kindly translated one of Andrew's lectures on church membership this afternoon for me. In it he recalled how a new convert from his congregation had once bought a machete and a hammer from the local market. He had heard rumours that some were talking of lynching Andrew and he had decided to protect him! Andrew had to explain that this was not the way to respond to violence.

This gives an insight into the culture here and the very real risk of faith Andrew and his wife Jenny took when they moved to this region 12 years ago with their 3 daughters (one was only 6 months old!). They had a 4th daughter while here, and as a family they are a challenging example of faith in God.

Of course they wouldn't see it that way. For them, their love for the people of the amazon region and their sense of calling from God, compelled them to come. Their willingness to sacrifice so much so that they could offerJesus - the 'bread of Life'  - to these people is surely a challenge to our risk-averse brand of faith.

Brazil: Hungry for Truth

If Manaus was a city carved out of the rainforest, Tefè is a town that exists in defiance of it, squeezed Into the top edge of lake Tefè.

There are no roads to Tefè. The only way to get here is by plane or boat. Most locals travel to Manaus by slow boat: a 32-36 hour trip down the Amazon.

On our first wander round the town we came across one such boat about to depart. The dockside was lined with relatives waving their loved one's off, who were jam-packed onto the boat.

Inside hundreds of colourful hammocks were strung up. This is what your ticket gets you, a hammock in which to sleep in the open air as the boat makes its slow way down the river. If it sounds idyllic I can assure you it didn't look it. The idea of spending 30-odd hours packed in tightly with so many people didn't appeal.

In the evening we went to the church where the Bible Seminary we've come to teach at is based. (Seminary, college, school: all these terms have been used to describe it, take your pick, but apparently seminary is the official title.)

The service was due to start at 7.30pm so being British we arrived on time. This meant that we actually got there before both the preacher and senior pastor!

By 8.15pm, well into the service, the church had filled up with around 100 people. I brought greetings from Woodgreen and Peter shared a verse from the Bible. We then looked as absorbed as we could during a 45min sermon we couldn't understand a word of!

I was sitting next to Andrew and so had an advantage as he kindly translated so that I got the gist of what the preacher was on about.  He was a guy in his 30s who had just graduated from Bible seminary and was clearly passionate about what he was sharing, because alongside his Bible and sermon notes he also kept a handkerchief on the pulpit that he used to mop the sweat that was running down his face!

In Brazil, January is recognised as 'holiday month', much like August is in the UK. However everyone is entitled to take the whole month off, which is why the Bible Seminary runs every year in January.

The students are mainly pastors or pastoral workers who come from Tefè or river villages along the Amazon.  The picture below shows three pastors. The two on the far right live and work amongst the maracow Indians and the older man on the left was a pastor in a river community 3 days travel away near the Columbian border.

During their month at the seminary they live onsite upstairs in hammocks (see photo), which is traditional in this area of Brazil, and they have 'seminary class of 2013' T-shirt's they ate supposed to wear.    

And boy are they worked hard!

They have already had two weeks of intensive lectures, starting each day at 8am and finishing at 6pm. In addition their evenings are timetabled as well going on to 10.30pm. They get 'homework' based on what they''re learning and are set a test at the end of each week.

But they are incredibly eager to learn!

Peter kicked off this morning with two lectures on the first two chapters of Paul's first letter to 1 Timothy. Amazonian women are known for their strength of character and we saw that first hand in the discussion generated by Paul's teaching about the different roles of men and women at the end of chapter two!

I also did my first two lectures looking at how to understand the Old Testament. A highlight for me was one student who said she had had a 'lightbulb moment' as we saw together that the whole Bible is really all one big story leading to Jesus.

Andrew also did two lectures on the pastors falling and character. I sat in for the first of these and although I didn't understand anything that was said it was great to see him interacting very warmly with the students.

We eat lunch and dinner with the students, which was really tasty traditional food. More about the local food tomorrow, as it deserves a full blog!

Another funny feature of the seminary is that the lecturers are all called 'professors' as a matter of course. Add to that the fact that 'r' is pronounced 'h' in portugeuse and I have had to get used to being called Professor 'Hicardo'.

Another cultural difference is the respect given to pastors. I am not Richard, I am Pastor Richard (well, Hicardo anyway!) - even outside the church. People in general seem to value and appreciate the spiritual counsel of pastors and are very willing to talk about Jesus.

It is also very noticeable how loved and appreciated Andrew's ministry is. He really fits in perfectly and has a wonderful humble,  self-deprecating manner that Brazilians find endearing and worthy of respect.

We finished the day tired but feeling we had contributed in a positive way and grateful again for all those who are praying for us back in the UK. Please continue to pray for good health and stamina for us all.

Brazil: Poor believers rich in faith

This morning we visited Ebenezer Baptist Church aka San Pedro Baptist Church. This is the church plant Andrew and his family were involved in before they came back to the UK on furlough.

As you may be able to see from the photos, San Pedro is a very needy area. Most of the houses are built out of roughly mortared bricks and consist of one or two living spaces. Brick houses are actually a step up from the wooden huts that many still live in. I asked Andrew what happens when it rains - which it does here almost every day. His answer was that Brazilians are very good at plugging the gaps!

Its another reminder of how good we have it in the UK and how culturally defined acceptable standards of living are. In the UK a roof over your head that doesn't leak is considered a basic human right. In Brazil it is far from that. Brazil is now the 4th largest economy in the world, but many of its people still live in what we would consider to be unacceptable accomodation. In San Pedro, open sewers are the norm. Fortunately  the church was built next to a handy brook! 

The church was started 4 years ago as a faith venture. In Brazil, church buildings are put up before there is even a congregation. This is a significant step of faith financially  for such relatively poor Christians. However the Christians believe that God will build the real 'church' (the people) when they step out in faith in this way.The UK church could learn a lot from them!

It was also striking how much nicer the church building was compared to the houses around it. Not in a flashy kind of way you understand, but just very smart and colourful. Unlike the homes around, the walls were plastered and painted, decorative curtains hung at the front and artificial flowers adorned the walls. It was testimony to the desire of the local Christians to honour God with the little they have. They would rather the church building was looked after than their own houses were improved. Andrew told us that this willingness to give to God's work was not unusual among Christians in Brazil.

A case in point was a young girl who injured herself very badly during a children's meeting at the church yesterday. She broke two teeth and had to have stitches on her chin. There's no NHS here, so there was a cost for her treatment: 70 reais, about £22. The church was all set to have an offering to pay for this, but Peter and I were able to make up what was lacking and give it as a gift from Woodgreen.

It was a real privilege to be with these believers. In Brazil the main church service is held in the evening, so only around 20 were there, however the singing was loud and enthusiastic and the people clearly loved Jesus.

Àlvaro is Pastor of the church. He is Andrew's protege and closest friend in Brazil. He was one of those who gave us such a warm welcome at the airport on Friday. I warmed to him immediately. Although he could not  speak a word of English, the connection was there because of our common love for Jesus.

Peter brought greetings from Woodgreen church, and then I spoke on Psalm 47, with Andrew translating. It worked really well and we soon settled into a rhythm.

I had been told that anything less than 45 mins would be a disappointment, however because the translation took less time than I anticipated, it was only a 30 minute sermon.  I was therefore faced with a phenomenon unthinkable in the UK: the congregation were disappointed I hadn't gone on for longer!

We dashed from church to the airport and caught our 1 hour flight to Tefè in good time. Our 50 seater, propeller driven airplane got us to Tefè airport safely.

When I say airport, that's a bit generous as you can probably see from the photos. Things were so relaxed that they let us take photos in front of the plane!

After a short journey we arrived at our hotel, the rather grandly named Tefè Plazza Hotel. Our rooms are - to say the least - basic, but they have air-conditioning and comfortable beds, so we are content. We are on the top floor, so the view is great: lake Tefè, next to which the town is located, is clearly visible.

Tonight we plan to go to the church which hosts the Bible School. Tomorrow, breakfast is at 7am and our lectures are from 8pm-6pm.

Brazil: Two Breathtaking Sights

We have had our first experience of the rainforest, complete with rain!

Today was our one official sightseeing day, although in reality every day here is promising to be full of new sights and sounds. 

We had been booked onto a day long boat tour to see the famous 'Meeting of the Waters'. 

Manaus is an amazing city. It is quite literally carved out of the rainforest: a sprawling mass of concrete, commerce and people, right in the middle of the Amazon jungle. It's growth was fueled by rubber production at the end of the 19th century. Today it is a busy port, with huge ocean-going container vessels and the occasional cruise liner docking at its harbour. The fact that vessels of this sort of size are present give you a feel for the vastness of the river network here. 

Manaus is located near the point where two mighty rivers converge, the Amazon and the Rio Negro: the black river. And it really IS liquorice black, which is in stark contrast to the chocolate brown colour of the Amazon. 

These two great rivers (the Rio Negro alone is 8km wide) meet 15km on from Manaus, and the result is a remarkable natural phenomenon. Rather than immediately mix together, black and brown run side by side for about 6km without mingling. According to George (our guide for the day and fount of all knowledge) this is caused by differences in the temperature, velocity and density of the two rivers. But whatever the reason, the effect is pronounced, as you may be able to see from the photos below. 

Next, the boat took us into the flooded rainforest to visit a native Indian village. We like to think we know all about flooding in Worcester, but the people who live by the Amazon could teach us a thing or two! 

According to George, the Amazon rises and falls by up to 20 metres every year, an incredible fact considering how vast it is. The high water level it reaches every year was clearly visible on the bark of the trees. As a result, large parts of the rainforest are flooded annually and if you happen to live in one of these areas there's no point building your house at ground level. Houses are therefore built on stilts or - more commonly - built to float! 

We stopped off for lunch at a floating restaurant in the middle of one such floating village. The food was amazing: fresh fish, unusual vegetables (I have absolutely no idea what some of the things I eat were) and tropical fruit. After a brief detour into the jungle, via a raised boardwalk, to see a beautiful water lily pond (see photo below), we then travelled further into the forest on fast canoes. 

This was great fun, and we glimpsed something of the sense of fun of the local people, despite their extreme poverty. As we passed young boys in their boats out exploring, each held up what they had captured that day in triumph: a fish, a sloth, a snake, even a caiman! As we passed one floating house, 5 young boys jumped into the water in unison, just to get a cheer from us as we passed. I'm really looking forward to our planned trip into the interior next week, when we visit Tefe, because I am sure we will see more of this simple love of life. 

When we arrived back, Andrew wanted to pop in to see some of the folk that have been on his heart for the 6 months he has been back in the UK. One of these visits left a very poweful impression. 

Nazarè and her husband Valdir are very poor. They live on rough ground next to one of the busiest roads in Manaus. Their house is made of  brick, roughly mortared together. It had been raining all day so it was damp. I noticed the fridge was rusty. 

Andrew told us how he would play football with Valdir from time to time. However when we arrived it was clear that he was not a well man. Indeed, Andrew didn't even recognise him at first, so changed was he. 

Nazarè told us that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer a month before. He had had his stomach removed and had been brought home to die. Nazarè herself was also not a well woman. She was being treated for leukemia and was unable to eat any solid food at all. A married couple, living in desperate poverty, staring death in the face. 

A stark end to a special day you might think? 

Not at all. 

Nazarè radiated joy. Why? 

Because her husband had recently put his faith in Jesus. His illness had caused him to re-examine his life and face up to death. And he had put his faith in Jesus to take him through death to new life. Nazarè was thrilled that though he was going to die, she would be reunited with him. Despite their extreme poverty and desperate situation, Nazarè's face was  therefore alight with the biggest smile you can imagine. 

It was a tonic to the cynical sophistication that so often dismisses faith in the UK.

All in all, a day full of new experiences and sights with much to remember. 

I have found myself marvelling again at the staggering beauty and variety of creation and the breathtaking imagination of our Creator. And yet the abiding memory of the day is that  simple house by the side of the road and one woman's smile, which testified with an eloquence far better than words to the breathtaking grace of God.